Angry Ghosts and Jayne's Shadow
by Hickumu
Summary: He doesn't knw why she's following him. Shooting where he tells her, doing what he says. After all that he's done, to her and to those she cares about. Plus, she's still mighty morbid and creepifying...post movie, Jayne/River SOMETHING, not something nice
1. Little Shadow

Yay, my first _Firefly_ fanfic. This was inspired by my Serenity RPG book, a conversation/monologue Mal was making about Jayne. It talked about how he's not exactly the most trustworthy, but so far the money "hasn't been good enough." I believe the exact phrasing was "one day, the money will be good enough. When it comes, that day will be an interesting day for us all." And River just...danced in.

This might be outside "T" range. If it is, please let me know.

Enjoy. If possible. This story is not pleasant. People die. People get tortured. River angst/insanity.

* * *

_On the prairies of Regina, in the middle of nowhere, the remains of a camp. The wind howled sadly, whistling through the grass. The entire operation is being done neatly, efficiently._

_On the edge of the camp, laying discarded and forgotten, a man. A bleeding, dying man. Kneeling placidly beside the man, eyes fixed on his face, a girl._

_Jayne coughed weakly. "I don't…I don't get it, girl. I thought…I mean…"_

_"The money was too good, Jayne," said River blandly. "I got stupid."_

* * *

On the border planet of Regina, on the outskirts of a small mining town, a man. A burly man, he moved with purpose, eyes scanning the brush. He had close cropped black hair dressed in filthy, shabby clothes. He was visibly armed, a large Callahan full-bore autolock in both hands, two pistols at his hips, and a high-make shotgun strapped across his back. Four grenades were strapped to bandoleers running across his chest.

Behind the man, a girl. She followed him at a distance, wending her way through the rocks and scrub about five feet behind him. She was thin, delicate creature with long black hair and large, protuberant eyes that never left the man's back. She padded barefoot through the grass, silent as a wraith.

The man was aware of her, but he did not look back until they had reached a hover mule hidden by brush and twigs. The man went to work brushing the twigs aside…then snorted impatiently and shot a glare over his shoulder at the girl. She was standing there patiently, five feet behind him, arms locked behind her back and regarding him curiously.

"Don't just stand there like a _Yi Dwei Da Buen Chuo Roh!_ Help me clear the mule!"

River smiled sweetly. "Yes, Jayne."

She padded forward and went to work vigorously brushing the mule free. She hefted full sized tree branched in her thin arms without any apparent effort. Jayne took his turn to watch, not bothering to lend his aid. She would have the mule cleared far faster than he.

And she did. Ten minutes later she stood again, arms behind her back, smiling cheerfully at him. Jayne ignored her, and got into the mule. He strapped his goggles on, and fired it to life.

She vaulted easily into the vehicle just as it started to move, grabbed her own pair of goggles, and pulled them on. She regarded him politely as he drove over the prairie landscape.

"Where are we going, Jayne?"

"'Bout fifteen miles out," said Jayne, not looking at her. "Bandits are s'pposed to be parked by a creek. Only clean water from here to the gold mines over the mountains."

"So we're going to kill them," said River dutifully.

"Hell yeah. Headman's willin' to pay a pretty peck o' silver. Silver's s'pposed to be in fashion on the Core Planets this year. I can get quite a bundle for it."

River smiled again. "Can I have some, too?"

"What d'you need money for?" Jayne demanded. "You're already spongin' off o' me. I feed you, don't I?"

"Not very much," said River, still with a smile on her face. "But that's okay. I'm a skinny little freak. I don't eat much."

Jayne nodded approvingly. "Damn right."

"Can I use a grenade?"

He shrugged. "Sure, I guess. Long as you only use it when I tell ya to. I don't plan on gettin' blowed up today."

"I will, Jayne. I only blow up the bad guys."

That had a suspicious ring to it, and he risked a glance at her. River, however, only smiled pleasantly at him.

Jayne decided to leave it at that. She'd gotten quite a mite saner since that mayhem on Miranda, but she still had her crazy times. Usually, she got over it if he left her to herself to mumble it off.

River had been running with him for about a year now. This was largely because he couldn't get rid of her. He'd tried several ways, most of them lethal to an ordinary human being. But River, while now mildly sane, was still anything but ordinary.

He'd tried shooting her in the back. She'd whipped round and caught the smoking bullet between her thumb and forefinger. He'd tried knifing her in her sleep. She'd snapped the blade off and stabbed his hand with it without so much as opening one eye He'd tried beating her to death. She'd nearly done the same to him. One of his last attempts, when he'd been good and desperate, had involved poisoning her. She'd dumped the soup on the floor without even picking up her spoon and looked at him like he was the dumbest thing in the 'Verse.

But, even as he tried again and again to off this crazy little girl, she'd worked loyally for him. She shot who he told her to, went where he told her to, and did what he told her to.

Despite himself, Jayne smiled. Maybe Mal and the Doc and the others had just been a bad influence on dear little River. Maybe all she needed was a more…_appropriate_ role model. Someone like him. Yeah, that sounded good. Someone to teach her to act like a normal human being…and someone to teach her how to do what she was damn well told. That had always been the Captain's problem, he'd let her get away with too much…

She was suddenly staring at him again, and he hurriedly shut that train of thought down. Another thing he'd never been quite sure of was whether or not the little _Wu Toh Wu Now_ _Luh Suh_ could still read minds…

But she merely tilted her head and said: "The engine's going to break down."

"What? No it ruttin' well ain't!"

"Yes it is."

"No it ain't!"

She smiled, like they were playing a game. "Yes it is. It's going _buzz buzz buzz_. We're driving a bumblebee. And bumblebees sting."

With that, she vaulted out of the mule, landing lightly on her feet.

"What the…?" Jayne asked, staring back at her, and then his memory was a confused jumble of images that ended with a jarring impact.

* * *

More tomorrow. Don't you worry. And it will be morbid and creepifying soon, I can guarantee that.


	2. The Story

When he woke up, the sun had set and River had gotten a fire going. From the smell of it, the contents of the pot on the fire were beans.

"What the hell happened?" he asked groggily.

"Bumps and bruises. No broken bones," said River, peering at the pot's quivering lid. "How many beans do you want?"

"Same as usual," said Jayne, pushing himself into a sitting position. He saw the mule, set innocently upright a few feet away.

River nodded dutifully. She retrieved the cutlery from their vehicle, gave a bowl and spoon to him and kept a bowl and spoon for herself. Jayne was given a full bowl. River herself, knowing how things worked, took a half.

And, for a while, they ate in silence.

Jayne could tell it was coming. He could tell, could _see _the expression creeping over the girl's face. And when it happened, there would be nothing he could do but listen while she got it out of her system…

Within five minutes, it happened.

"The money was too good. You got stupid."

Jayne said nothing. He knew the story, hell's knew she told it enough. At least once every couple of weeks, she'd tell the story and nothing short of beating her into unconsciousness would stop her…and, so far, he'd never managed to beat her into unconsciousness Didn't matter where they were or who was around, she'd tell the story in that creepy voice of hers.

"It was supposed to be simple," River continued. "Sneak and creep like a mangy old dog coming for a rat caught in the trap. And when you did the deed, you'd get a big juicy steak. And the rat wore a big brown coat. You caught him in his room. Blocked the door. Didn't even say a word, just…bang. And the big brown coat was all messy and red. But he screamed before he died. Kaylee heard him. She came down the ladder and…bang. You couldn't have her running to the others. But she didn't die right away, she was laying there moaning and crying and you couldn't stand the sound. It disgusted you, made your head ache. After all, you hadn't meant to shoot her. It was just supposed to be Mal. That was the deal you made with them. The ones who were going to give you the steak. But you couldn't get Simon, and you had to stop the wailing, so…bang."

Jayne said nothing. After all, what was there to say. It was said and done, it had all happened a year ago. He'd been paid by some of Mal's many enemies to off his captain. Hell, they'd even gotten together and pooled their resources. They'd approached him, and him alone.

And the money _had _been too good.

But Mal had gone and made too much noise, and Kaylee had been the only one on the ship. Zoë, Inara, the Doc, and River herself had been out and about, picking up supplies in Eavesdown Docks. She'd come running, and he'd turned to see her there with her mouth opening in preparation to scream and…he hadn't thought. He'd just fired.

After that he'd known things would go badly when they others found him…and it _had _been a case of when. He'd high-tailed it off of the ship, with only a few of his best guns, run for his gorram life because when Zoë found out what he'd done…

He'd been desperate.

"Run, run, run, as fast as you can. When they caught you, they'd beat you like a bad dog. Whimper and cry, they'd still beat you. So you went and found some bigger dogs."

He _had _been desperate, because he'd gone to the Feds. Turned them in, every one. From what he'd heard later, the cops had stalked them for days afterwards, grabbing them off the streets quietly. One by one.

But one had gone and got away, and now she sat across from him, on the other side of the fire that was making her face look grim and demonic.

"Simon kicked and screamed, but they marched him away. Marched him away and locked him up. Locked him up and hurt him. I heard him screaming. I still hear it, in my dreams. He screams and he cries but nobody hears him." For a moment, a look of utter anguish was on River's face, and Jayne thought he saw tears in her eyes. "Nobody but his _mei-mei_, who can't hold his hand."

Then the look was gone, and her expression was mercifully bland again. "Then they got Inara, but she had friends. Flashed some cash, walked back out. But not free, oh no. Pretty little butterfly in a pretty little cage."

Inara, after being found to have assisted in hiding River, had been condemned to several years of planetary arrest on Sihnon. She would have gotten worse, but…as River had said…the woman had powerful and very rich friends. While she was still able to walk around like a free woman, she had warrants all across the Core planets banning any ship from taking her aboard. The Companion was planet-bound for a good long while.

"And then they got Zoë, but nobody keeps Zoë where she doesn't want to be kept. Roared like a lioness, clawed her way out." River grinned. "And she's hunting you. You know it."

Zoë now had a bounty on her head to match River's. But there had been no arrests. Hell, there had barely been any sightings. Jayne had never known Zoë as a subtle person. But the woman was lying as low as a snake in the dirt.

"And then they never got me," said River thoughtfully. "They were just too slow. I danced away, like a puff of smoke. And then I found you. A scared and mangy dog baring its fangs, ready to tear out the throat of the world." She looked straight at him, suddenly horribly lucid and focused. "But I scared you straight, and now we're together. Partners in crime. Comrades in arms. River and Jayne. Jayne and River. Jayne is a girl's name."

He snorted. "You tell that tale one more time and I'll sew your mouth shut. If I'm such a horrible guy, why are you followin' me like a gorram shadow?"

"Because I see them," said River. The firelight was oddly illuminating her face, and she pointed just over his shoulder. "They're following you."

Jayne nervously looked over his shoulder, and cursed himself for it. Of course there was no one there. There was just the night.

"Yes. There is just the night," said River, making him jump "And there's _them_. They hover all around you…" She fluttered her hands for emphasis, smirking. "…and they grumble and groan when you're trying to sleep and curse at you and scream for the taste of your blood…"

"Shut up," Jayne hissed.

"…and they wail and cry and ask _Oh why, Jayne, why_…" River was grinning now, clearly enjoying herself.

"I said _shut up!_" Jayne roared, getting to his feet. He strode over to the girl, raising his fist threateningly. "You _guay toh guay nown!_ You _bei bi shiou ren!_ Shut your gorram mouth or I'll beat it off your gorram face!"

River stared up at him, her eyes made glassy by firelight. She hadn't even flinched.

"But I like them," she continued, unperturbed. "They sing to me in the night. They sing me lullabies. Tell me how proud they are of me. Tell me they believe in me."

Jayne exhaled. "Yeah, well…good for you, I guess. Look, girl, just eat your beans and hit the hay. I've got a lot of work for you come mornin'."

She smiled at him. "Yes, Jayne."

However, River was still sitting by the dead fire long after Jayne was snoring loud enough to wake every dog in the prairie. She sat, staring at the flickering embers, until her sensitive hearing detected the sound of a booted foot just barely pressing down on the grass. The intruder was good at being silent. But River was just as good at detecting those trying to be silent.

She looked over her shoulder and smiled in welcome at the shadow in the night.

"Come and sit down," she said. "We have beans."


	3. Just a Dream

_River was never sure if she was visiting Simon in her dreams, or if Simon was visiting her. They never saw each other, though. Or, rather, he never saw her. No, his dreams were too dark and too scary for a sight as welcome as his mei-mei to be allowed to be seen._

_River both hated and loved these events. Loved them because they were the only times she'd seen her brother in a painfully long year. Hated them because of what they showed her brother going through._

_But she sat, unmoving and unblinking against one wall in his cell. He sat closer to the door, watching with pain in his eyes as people moved past the door without looking in. Most were faceless blobs, but River saw their parents among the crowds, laughing uproariously and ignoring their son._

_Then she gasped and so did Simon, because standing out in the crowd of faceless people were the crew of Serenity. Mal and Zoë, Wash and Book, Jayne and Inara, Kaylee…_

_She saw Simon try to call them, but no sound emerged. And, as they passed by, laughing and talking happily, she saw her brother's head fall in defeat._

_Then, the dream changed._

_Even in his dreams, they questioned him. She sat against the wall, hands folded demurely in her lap, as they questioned him. They shone bright lights in his face so he couldn't see or think. They tied him up so he couldn't fight back. If he so much as stammered, there was pain. They told him that if he stammered, he had to be lying. But Simon was in so much pain that he could barely think straight, let alone speak straight._

_"I…" she heard him whisper._

_The dream men, his captors, moved closer interestedly._

_"I…"_

_They were getting closer and closer, she could barely see him. River felt her heart starting to pound. Oh, no. Would he crack here and now, with her sitting right here? No…he couldn't he wouldn't…_

_"I will…I will…"_

_He looked up at them, and she was delighted to see fire in his eyes._

_"I will never…ever…tell you anything. You might as well…slit my throat…right now, you_ Lio Cuh Jwei Ji_…"_

_And then one of the shadow men was suddenly clearly and sharply defined, and River gasped just when Simon did, because now River was seeing herself standing in front of her brother, fists clenched and eyes narrowed and terrible and cruel._

_"_Mei-mei_," Simon whispered._

_"_Kuh wu_," was River's only reply. "Despicable". She held something up to Simon's eyes, and he shied away from her gaze when he saw the smoking red hot wire. The real River was starting to tremble, because the knowledge that she herself would be continuing her beloved brother's questioning was horrific and she wanted to shake Simon for even dreaming of such a thing…_

_This part was new. _

_Bad-River moved the red hot wire until it was positioned just shy of Simon's forehead. Real-River saw that her brother was trembling just as much as she was, and would not look at the nightmare before him. _

"_Needles in the brain, Simon," said Bad-River, and her voice was the voice she'd had while crazy. Her eyes were wild and unfocused. "Needles in the brain and in the eyes and you can't just dress me up like a gorram doll. You can't do that to me until you know how it feels."_

"_I…I know, River…"_

_River, who had seen Simon in pain too many times in these dreams, still found that the following scream was too terrible and she had to cover her ears._

_But then she was running, and she was knocking the dream men aside. Punch, kick, bite, jab. For a moment she was face-to-face with herself, crazy and wild. Then, she took great pleasure in slugging the nightmare form of herself into nothing. She knocked them aside and saw Simon's eyes focus on her, and suddenly the dream men were gone. Gone, because right at that moment River was the central character in the dream. She was all he could see._

_"River?" he asked hoarsely as she dropped down next to him and flung her arms around his neck._

_She nodded, feeling tears in her eyes. _

"_It's gonna be okay, Simon. It's gonna be okay."_

"_What? But…no! No, it's not! River, you shouldn't have come here! That's what they want! They want to catch you, and they'll take you back there…"_

_She shushed him, running her hand over his back as he'd done so often with her. Eventually he stopped protesting, and merely hugged her back fiercely with hands that were suddenly free, sobbing._

_The dream was painfully real. She could feel the wounds all over him, the bruises and cuts. It was painfully real to rival her nightmares, the nightmares she'd had when she was crazy._

_But if River knew one thing, it was the world of the unseen._

_She concentrated. Dreams, at their most basic, were fluid things. If she concentrated hard, remembered all the wonderful sounds and smells…_

And suddenly they were back on Serenity, back on the ship that was their home, and they were sitting together watching as Jayne and Wash played cards, as Book talked with Inara, as Zoë listened in bemusement to a lecture of Kaylee's on machinery.

"What…?"

"Ssh…" she said again. "Don't ask. Don't think. Just watch."

And he did, sitting there numbly and watching the crew. River knew that, in his tired mind, he knew that some of them were dead. But, slowly, she saw the illusion start to take effect. She saw him start to slip into this dream, leave the bad dream behind.

So, when Kaylee bounced over to him and asked his opinion about her new socket wrench, he pushed himself upright without any signs of pain and off they went together.

River watched them go, smiling sadly as Simon seamlessly integrated himself into the cheerful, happy scene.

Because, when the dream suddenly shattered like a delicate crystal, she knew that Simon would be returning to bright lights and terrible pain. And, as she awoke on the prairie to Jayne's snoring, she knew that she was millions of miles away and could do nothing to help him now. No matter how much she wanted to, River could not hold his hand.

But by the time Jayne had woken up, grumpy as usual, River had dried her eyes and was working on breakfast.

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

Silence.

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

Silence.

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

Silence.

"Are we…"

"_Bai Tuo, Uhm Jin Yee Dien."_

"Yes, Jayne."

"Why're you so ruttin' eager to get there? You're the one who's gonna be out in the open drawin' the fire."

The smile River gave him was stranger than usual. "I'm just happy to be useful, Jayne," she said monotonously.

Like many of her statements, this one had a suspicious ring to it, and Jayne's eyes narrowed.. But the last time he'd taken his eyes off the road he'd ended up (according to River) stuck face down in a rock crevice. So he decided to let it slide.

"We'll be there in maybe ten minutes," he finally said. "You still want a grenade?"

"Yes, Jayne. And I'd like to use Jennifer, if that's all right."

Jayne shrugged. "Jennifer" was a new gun, only just earned her name. A small, customized pistol with quite the shiny laser scope and the ability to fire armor-piercing rounds. He hadn't yet developed too much of an attachment to her, so he consented. River smiled happily when he did.

"When we get there, here's the plan," said Jayne, as she loaded Jennifer and took off the safety. "You stand out there in the open. You're freakishly fast, you can pick 'em off no prob. Once you've thinned the heard, I'll step in with Vera."

"How many bandits do you think there are, Jayne?"

"Dunno, but the headman said there was plenty to keep us occupied. I'd say maybe…fifteen, twenty. But it doesn't matter, 'cause you're gonna do your job and shoot 'em dead, aren't ya?"

"Yes, Jayne. I'll kill the bad guys."

Again, this had a suspicious ring. But when Jayne risked a glance at River, taking his eyes off the rapidly moving ground, she was busily polishing Jennifer's stock with the hem of her dress.

"Did you…" he asked suspiciously. "Did you…sleep okay last night? Didn't have any of your freaky dreams, did ya?"

"Yes, Jayne. I did." River bit her lip, suddenly worried and anxious. "Simon's not doing very well. When I woke up I was crying and crying…" she smiled dreamily, and the sudden change of attitude made a shudder run up his spine. "…but then they sang to me, and everything was okay. _Hush little River, don't say a word…Wash is gonna by you a pretty bird…if that pretty bird don't sing…Sheperd's gonna buy you a new Bible…if that new Bible doesn't satisfy established logical theories…Kaylee's gonna buy you a…"_

"Okay!" snapped Jayne, because her eerie, singsong voice was audible over the whine of the mule and was creeping him out even more than the girl typically did. "Big singalong, I get it! Now shut your mouth, we're almost there!"

The tents and roughly built shacks that he assumed must be the camp came into sight a few moments later. Jayne hit the brakes on the mule and did a hard turn to the left, towards the river. There were a few dead trees scattered around the clear waters, but it was the only cover for miles around. Jayne set the mule down on the opposite bank from the camp, and _shooed_ River out.

Lightly, moving like a shadow even in the hot afternoon sun, River slipped out of the mule and settled lightly down on the grass. She crept forward, so soundless that it made his ears ache.

Just as she reached the river, River easily vaulted up into the dead trees and clung to a high branch with the barest of rustles. She inched over to a tree opposite, reached over, and transferred herself to it. Then, she touched down silently on the grass and off she went, tearing across the ground towards the camp.


	4. Blood and Vengeance

_She knew something was wrong as soon as she set foot on the ship. But the others, who could be so stupid sometimes, did not. River stood in the middle of the docking bay, shifting anxiously from foot to foot. Zoë, carrying some bundles and bags, cupped her free hand to her mouth and called "Hey! Conquering heroes returning here! How's about a hand!"_

_"Could someone please tell me why we didn't bring Jayne along on this shopping trip?" asked Simon. "I thought he was the pack mule of the crew."_

_Inara laughed playfully and dumped her burdens into his arms, making Simon nearly lose his balance. "It's good exercise, Doctor! Toughen up!"_

_"Simon…" said River quietly._

_"Here, Doc, lemme help you with those," said Zoë, taking some of the packages._

_"Thanks," said her brother, sounding winded._

_"Simon…" said River, a little louder._

_"I think Simon here can be relieved of unpacking duty," said Inara. "After all, didn't you have that little tête-à-tête with Kaylee planned?"_

_Her stupid brother went red, and ignored her when River called his name again. "I-It's nothing like that…I needed some help cleaning the infirmary, and…"_

"Simon!!"_ screamed River, stamping her foot. _

_Simon looked at her, worried. "River? What is it?"_

_River bit her lip, and looked back at him._

_"No one's coming," she said quietly._

_They stared at her for a second, then comprehension dawned on Zoë's face. She shook her head slowly._

_"That's quite right. They're not. You think somethin' happened?"_

_River bobbed her head._

_"Yes."_

_"What, _mei-mei_?" asked Simon cautiously._

_River turned on her heels and raced off up the stairs, because they were too stupid and they weren't listening. She'd need to show them. Whatever happened had been horrible, but she needed to show them._

_She heard them call her name, heard the _thuds _and _thumps _of their bundles as they tore after her. River stopped neatly in front of Captain Malcolm's room, where the badness was strongest and came at her in waves. She shuddered at the horribleness of what must lay beyond, but opened the strangely unlocked door, leapt down without even bothering with the ladder…_

_The first they knew of it was when River let out a wail. A wail of despair and grief that echoed throughout _Serenity _like a deathknell._

_When Zoë, Inara, and Simon found the scene in Mal's room, saw her cradling Kaylee's limp body and wailing like a banshee, with Mal's corpse sprawled pathetically on his bed, they joined in. Zoë kicked the wall. Simon took Kaylee's body from River and hugged it close. Inara went to Mal, running her hands tenderly over his face, her face blank and numb._

_Zoë was the first to recover. She hauled the incoherent Simon to his feet and said, in the voice of the captain she now was:_

_"Doc, how long have they been dead for?"_

_Simon looked at her like she was insane, and Zoë shook him slightly. "Doctor. This is important. I need to know what kind of lead that _Lio Cuh Jwei Ji Neong Hur Ho Deh Yung Duh Duhn Jah J'wohn _has on us. I need to know how fast we need to move."_

_River could see the light of comprehension dawning in Simon's eyes, and he nodded. Giving Kaylee to River, he moved to Mal and went to work examining him. Inara stood against the wall, tears making her pretty makeup run._

_"Half an hour," said Simon quietly. "An hour at most. He can't have gone far."_

_"I'd beg to disagree," said Zoë. She started climbing the ladder back out. "All right, boy and girls! You've got five minutes to grab what you'll need for the hunt, but after those five minutes I'm leaving no matter who has a fancy to go with me!"_

_Simon scrambled up the ladder just after Zoë, River and Inara close behind._

_And, in five minutes, they stood in the main docking area of _Serenity._ River hadn't known it then, but it was the last time they stood in that ship as one crew._

_And they'd set out, murder in their eyes and in their hearts. But Jayne had called the feds, and one by one they were taken. Taken away, far away from River._

_And she knew she would never forget how Simon struggled when they snatched him, or the sheer terror on Inara's face that was nevertheless masked with a welcoming smile when the Feds came to their hotel room. She would never forget the brave smile Zoë had given her when they'd split up for the last time, to ensure that at least one could find Jayne and kill him._

_River had never forgotten. She would also never forget the corpses of her best friend and her captain, staring blankly at the Bad Place._

_She would never forget the pretty dress she had bought Kaylee that day. She would never forget the wonderful happy smile Kaylee was supposed to give her when she unwrapped it. She would never forget how Kaylee was supposed to dance and twirl in it, all the flowers making her look so much prettier than usual._

_She never intended to forget. Not if she lived until the 'Verse imploded._

* * *

River crept through the bandit camp, and found it very, very deserted.

She was not surprised, and actually smiled when the lone figure emerged from behind what had been the leader's shanty.

"Hello!" she said, waving. "How did you like the beans last night?"

* * *

The sun was setting. Jayne was getting impatient. It had been hours and he had heard nothing from the camp. No gunshots, no screams. What the gorram hell was that little crazy _Hur Bao Duhn_ girl playing at?

Nothing for it. She'd probably gotten herself caught. Maybe the chief had given her something shiny to play with. If he wanted to get paid, he'd need to do this job himself.

Jayne cocked Vera, exited the mule, splashed through the river far more clumsily than River had, and entered the camp at a run.

It was quiet. Quiet and empty and dead. Not a soul to be seen. Not even a corpse, laying in that pathetic way they usually did when River had finished with them.

"Hello?" he called softly. "Little crazy girl? You alive?"

He caught sight of a shadow, just around the corner of a tent. He raised Vera slowly, sighting through the scope.

"Little girl?!" he called.

_Bang!_


	5. River's Plans and the Last Line

This is not a nice chapter. Warning, this is not a nice chapter. The ghosts are a little OOC...but I think they're justified. Lemme know. And enjoy (if possible).

* * *

_Bang!_

Jayne froze.

Then, he looked down at the bullet shining on the ground. Shining red with blood. It had gone straight through his gut…and he hadn't been shot from the front.

He looked over his shoulder.

River, still with the gun raised, looked back.

She smiled placidly at him.

"I guess I really am a _guay toh guay nown_," she said dreamily. "Aren't I, Jayne?"

He had slumped to his knees, staring at the sky as blood continued to leak from the wound.

"Damn right…you are…" he muttered as he collapsed. River padded over and sat down placidly beside him. He stared at her, feeling his blood continuing to flow.

Jayne coughed weakly. "I don't…I don't get it, girl. I thought…I mean…"

"The money was too good, Jayne," said River blandly. "I got stupid."

"M-Money? You…you got paid _money_…to do me in? Like…actual c-cash?"

"Yes. More than enough."

Despite his imminent death, Jayne smirked. "Well…I guess you did learn somethin' right from me…how much, girl?"

River reached into the pocket of her dress, and withdrew a clenched fist. One by one, she let six silver coins falls onto Jayne's chest, where they bounced pell-mell into the grass.

The meager amount of money wouldn't even have bought a candy bar out of a Core World vending machine.

"The money was too good," River repeated. "It was more than enough. More than enough to kill someone like you."

"S-So…all this time…you was followin' me around…like a gorram shadow…just waitin' for the chance to do me in?"

River giggled. "You're so dumb, Jayne."

His face brightened a little. "R-Really? So…that ain't the reason?"

"No," said River promptly. "It is. You're just dumb for not figuring it out earlier. And for several other reasons. I wasn't just waiting for 'a chance'. I had my chance at any moment I chose. You didn't kill me because you couldn't, Jayne. But I didn't kill you because I _could_. And I was waiting. I was waiting to be _paid_ for the chance to kill you. Like you were waiting for the chance to kill Mal Reynolds. And Kaylee."

"I-I…"

"Shut up!" River snarled. She gestured at the dress she was wearing, the dress she'd been wearing since the day she'd hunted him down. "I bought this dress for Kaylee! She was going to smile all happy and wear it for Simon! But then she was limp and cold, and she couldn't smile anymore!"

Taking a deep breath, the girl calmed down as suddenly as a cloud obscuring the sun. She exhaled slowly, and said: "I'm not going to save you. You keep hoping that I will, but I won't. I'm just going to sit here, Jayne Cobb, and watch you die. Like you watched Mal and Kaylee die. I hate you, Jayne Cobb, and I always did. And you're a _Ai Chr Jze Se Duh Fohn Diang Gho_ for not seeing it sooner." She smiled dreamily. "You thought I was still crazy, and that was why you could order me around as you pleased. But I'm not crazy. Not anymore. I'm sane, and I'm much smarter than you. You lost, Jayne Cobb, and you're going to die for it."

Jayne sighed, and the gesture made him cough up blood. "Gorram it, girl…if I'm gonna die, at least let me die without listening to your loony ramblin's…"

"You'll get your chance to talk soon," said River, resting her chin in her hands. "Forever and ever. Because _they _are waiting for you…and they're very interested in what you have to say."

Jayne felt fear grip him at the girl's dreamy tone, even as his vision started to cloud. "W-Who? _Who's_ waitin' for me?"

"You never let me finish the song."

"Whut?"

"The song. The song they sing me to sleep with. You never let me finish it. You never heard the last line."

And, taking a deep breath, River sang.

_"Hush little River, don't say a word._

_Wash is gonna buy you a pretty bird._

_If that pretty bird don't sing_

_Shepard's gonna buy you a new Bible._

_If that new Bible doesn't satisfy established logical theories_

_Kaylee's gonna buy you new engine couplings._

_If those new engine couplings don't make _Serenity _fly_

_Captain's gonna buy you a new brown coat._

_If that new brown coat stains red…"_

River leaned over Jayne, until her face nearly blocked out the sky and was silhouetted against the sun.

_"Don't stop, Little River, until Jayne's dead."_

And with that, Jayne Cobb died.

But even after he knew, knew to the very core of his being that he was dead and gone, the world did not change overmuch. He still felt the ground under his back, and saw the sky overhead.

But then he noticed the differences. The ground beneath him was not grass, but coarse sand. The sky overhead was empty and cloudless. The entire world was in shades of gray.

And there were now far more figures surrounding him. They were in shadows, and their voices were distorted as they had a conversation over his head. But, as the gray world became sharper and sharper, their voices became clearer and clearer:

_"Come on, come on, hurry up and die, you _Joo Bah Jeh_."_

_"Now, now, Cap'n. Let the man die at his own speed."_

_"Indeed. We will get him when it is his time."_

_"Judgin' from the way he's bleeding, Shepard, I don't think he's got much time left."_

_"I'd agree, Little Kaylee, I'd agree. I hope you'll parden my impatience, Shepard, but this gorram backstabber did me in and I'm looking forward to returning the favor. Several dozen times, if circumstances permit."_

_"Taking vengeance is not our duty, Mal. Jayne's soul will be judged and dealt with according to the will of God."_

_"Yeah, well…ain't you always sayin' 'God helps those who help themselves'?"_

_"I have to agree with Mal, I distinctly remember you saying that. Quite often, in fact. It was one of your favorites."_

_"Only because I found it quite applicable to our chosen lifestyle, Wash. But I am forced to agree. That was a very good point, Mal."_

_"Thank you kindly, Shepard. I've have a lot of time to think religion, bein' stuck in nowhere and all."_

_"Maybe we just need to deal with the reason for our vengeance, and then we'll be all done and can move on to somewhere nicer?"_

_"So why are Book and I stuck here with you?"_

_"Not a clue. But I think Kaylee's suggestion has some merit. I think he's just about arrived. You wanna start, _Nyen Chin Duh_?"_

_"Indeed I do. I died a young 'un, thanks to him. I would indeed love to start. Wash, could you hand me those spark plugs?"_

_"Here you go."_

_"Thank you. Now, Jayne Cobb, this won't hurt you more than you hurt me…"_


	6. Epilogue: Let's Fly

Many..._many_...apologies. It was just...after the last chapter...I wasn't sure where to go. Then there would be times when I just forgot, times when I wasn't even sure this chapter should BE here. So...totally my bad. I will do my best to make sure this never happens again.

But there was one more plot point that needed to be resolved.

So, without any _more _ado and delay, here is the final(ish) chapter of _Angry Ghosts and Jayne's Shadow!_

River sat, staring at the dead man for a very long time, until she heard footsteps approaching cautiously. The newcomer stood beside her, and laid a hand gently on her shoulder.

"So…" said Zoë softly. "It's finished."

"All done," said River.

"The money was enough?"

"More than enough."

Zoë's grip on her shoulder tightened slightly. "I'm sorry, River. I'm so sorry you had to live with this _qing wa cao de liu mang._"

"It had to be done."

"Yeah. I suppose it did. Now I guess the Cap'n and Kaylee can rest easy, now that their killer's safe in the Bad Place."

River nodded. "I hope so." She looked up at Zoë, up at the sad and strong face she hadn't seen for a year. "Wash says he loves you. We've been talking. He says he loves you."

Zoë went stiff…then she smiled sadly, and pulled River to her feet. "Sounds like my mister."

She folded River into a hug, which the girl returned gratefully. "I've missed you, little one."

"Missed you too, Zoë." River looked up at her former crewmate.

"And I'm hungry."

Zoë blinked, then laughed. River smiled; she'd missed Zoë's wonderful laugh.

"I think I can oblige. And I think I can do you one better than those _luh suh_ beans you dished me last night."

She slipped an arm round River's shoulder and led her into the abandoned camp; the camp that Zoë had in fact cleared out a week before River and Jayne had even been hired for the job.

"Wait'll you see my new ship."

"You got a new ship?"

"Couldn't exactly pilot _Serenity _all by my lonesome."

"You _sold _Serenity?"

"…had to, River." Zoë sounded sad, and River could see why. She'd been dead set against Mal's purchase of _Serenity_, and had been known to complain about the state of the ship quite often. But it had been her home. _Their _home. "Had to. Left her with Inara. I figured even if she can't go off world, her guild should find a use or five for her. I got a new ship. Little thing, built for one or two. _Hummingbird _Class. Name of 'Hera'. Takes forever and a day to get from planet to planet, but I get there." Zoë smiled down at River. "And I got room for one more, like I said. Feel like hitting the black again, River?"

"More than anything." River looked up at Zoë and bit her lip. "_Hummingbird_ Class ships are built to accommodate four hundred and fifty pounds of organic life in the main hull. Together, we add up to two hundred and fifty three."

"That's a lot of numbers to be throwing around," said Zoë blankly. "What's your meaning, River?"

"_Hummingbird's _are have a very low fuel capacity. They're not meant to go beyond a few central planets. Even if you'd converted it to hold additional fuel, it would take fifty one days under good conditions to reach Osiris."

Zoë stopped, frowning. "Osiris? River, I got no plans to go anywhere near the Central Planets anymore."

"I do," said River quietly. She stared at her feet.

"I want Simon back."

Zoë and River were suddenly so silent that they could hear the rustle of the grass being blown about and the caws of carrion coming to investigate Jayne's body far behind them.

"River…River, honey…" said Zoë nervously. She bent over until they looked at eachother eye-to-eye. "I know…I don't like the thought of him bein' where he is either. But…with just you and me…it ain't possible, sweetie. It can't be done. We'd get locked up along with him."

"You won't be getting involved," said River coldly. "Just me. Drop me off, and give me six hours. That's all I'll need." Her fists clenched at her sides. "I won't let them hurt him anymore."

River could hear Zoë considering her words, hear the worries and doubts and counter arguments running through her head. Her mind had changed since Mal's death. Beforehand, it had been something sharp and unbreakable, like the knife she always wore in her boot. But now it was fragile and worried, never quite sure of the path she walked and always just a little afraid to walk it.

River hated Jayne even more for making Zoë's mind so strange.

And she prayed that Zoë would help her. Because if Zoë didn't, River would have to leave. Leave and find another ship to take her to Osiris and to Simon.

Zoë sighed, and River held her breath.

"If we don't dilly dally in port, I think I can shave a couple of days off your estimate. You really think you can make it?"

River nodded.

Zoë sighed again and stood up. "All righty then. I must be goin' crazy after all that time alone. We can eat on the ship, then we'll get a move on. All goes well, we should hit Osiris in a couple month's time."

"And then we go get _Serenity_," said River happily, as they resumed their walk. She could see a dark, vaguely ship-spaced lump in the distance that matched the shape of the _Hummingbird_.

"What?! River, I thought you were over your crazy phase!" Zoë sounded completely disbelieving, but River could not for the life of her understand why. "We can't pilot it!"

"The three of us can," said River confidently. "You can pilot. Simon can cook and do chores. And I can keep us flying."

"You sound mighty sure of that."

They'd reached the ship. It was a small one, maybe a tenth of _Serenity's _size, containing a single room, and configured to carry cargo beneath its hull. _Hera_. Named for the planet that held Serenity Valley. There were some ties that bound that could never quite be severed.

"I am," said River, and she was smiling. Her life was her own again, free of the burden of revenge It stretched out before her and contained the entire vastness of space.

Right here and right now, River knew she could get Simon back.

Because Jayne was dead and gone, and the ghosts had him. The angry ghosts could rest, and River could move on. And she would move on, with Simon and Zoë and eventually Inara.

They would be a family again.

Zoë opened the door, and River scurried inside and placed her hands over the controls. Her senses hummed.

"We can eat once we break atmo," she said. "Buckle up."

"Yes, ma'am," said Zoë with a wry smile. She sat down and buckled up just as River finished the launch sequence.

_Hera _whirred to life, and River hurried to the co-pilot's seat as Zoë took command.

"You ready, little albatross?"

"I am. Let's fly."

The _Hummingbird Hera_ lifted off from the prairie grass, and shot away into the endless vastness of space.

* * *

I know the ending was a bit ambiguous, but that seemed to keep with the tone of the story. So...was this chapter all right? I really hope you enjoyed! Thank you for your patience!

* * *


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